


Time

by Silent_Observer_of_time



Series: What's in a Reality? [7]
Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Depressed Sans, Dreams vs. Reality, Gen, Genocide Sans, One Shot, Post-Irony, References to Undertale Genocide Route, Sad Sans, Sans Has Issues, Sans Needs A Hug, Sans Remembers Resets, Scientist W. D. Gaster, Undertale Reset Issues, Undertale Saves and Resets, Young Sans
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-09
Updated: 2017-12-13
Packaged: 2018-11-12 02:00:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,530
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11151840
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Silent_Observer_of_time/pseuds/Silent_Observer_of_time
Summary: Sometimes, repetition causes conflict.Sometimes, chaos brings balance.Sometimes...Everything in the past is now taken for granted.





	1. Current Past

**Author's Note:**

> I am starting to get used to office life... Oh god why?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> everyone
> 
> is constant,
> 
> but
> 
> sans know
> 
> RESETs
> 
> change him
> 
> little
> 
> by little.

"SNANS~!"

 

"can you stop being so clingy and loud?" Sans groaned, shaking his little brother off his leg. "dad!"

"Sorry Sans. You're in charge of him in school." The father smiled at his children. Sans huffs, "i wish you hadn't made him."

"Come now Sans. You were the one who wanted a brother in the first place." The taller skeleton humored. Sans glared at his father, "i'm regretting everything."

 

"Someday you won't."

 

**"not gonna happen."**

 

[CONTINUE]

 

"SANS..." Papyrus' voice was soft. Sans refuses to listen.

 

**"PLEASE LET GO..."**

 

Sans' grip tightens.

 

* * *

[TRUE RESET]

 

"D-did this happen before?"

 

"i wish.." Sans muttered, yawning as he pours the cereal onto the bowl. The child feels his neck and looks at Sans, "Where's dad? He should be taking us to school right?"

"he's in the lab-" Sans frowned, "how do you know we have a school..."

 

**"...when you've never been out?"**

 

[CONTINUE]

 

"uh bro...? how did you get lost when we're few blocks away from tori's school?" Sans humored his brother. The brother laughs, embarrassed but genuine.

 

**"I.. I FORGOT."**

 

* * *

[TRUE RESET]

 

"bro?" Sans asked, sensing his brother's SOUL in distress. Not waiting for a response, he slammed the door open and rushed in.

 

"what's wrong?!" Sans gives his brother a hug, cradling the crying skeleton close even if his injuries hidden under the cloth begins to bleed.

 

"No more..." His sibling whimpers in his arms, afraid their father would come. _It can't get any worse right?_

 

[CONTINUE]

 

"...Sans?" The child asked (clearly frightened), lying on the ground injured as Sans held a bloody ax.

 

"...." Sans plunges it to their SOUL, their scream echoed throughout the forest.

 

All he wants is the timeline to RESET  _so why aren't they resetting?!_

 

* * *

[TRUE RESET]

 

" _Are you okay brother?_ "

 

Sans looks up, seeing his brother escaped from his room. Receiving a hug caused his resolve to shake, Sans clung to his brother as he breaks down. Soon... the metal door will open signalling the doctor's arrival, but Sans will do everything to protect his brother.

 

[CONTINUE]

 

" _A-are you okay?_ " The golden flower asked, wrapping itself around a human's arm. Sans shrugged, "been better."

"b-but." The human tightens their hand around his, Sans didn't dare look down at those flower-covered eyes.

 

"you just killed your brother."

 

* * *

[TRUE RESET]

 

Sans drinks a bottle of ketchup, slowly replaced with whisky to drown the fear. They were all alone. It's just him and Papyrus, after all. Papyrus begins to question about their lifestyle, but doesn't plan on changing it... They were better off not having a father.

 

[CONTINUE]

 

Sans watched his brother die on camera, his last words towards the Human made him regret so many things. He wished someone could help them, someone like... The Royal Scientist.

 

* * *

[TRUE RESET]

 

"I HAD A NIGHTMARE AGAIN."

 

His little brother confesses, standing beside his bed while holding his favorite storybook. Sans brings his brother close, hugging the tall skeleton. "no worries. i'm here to protect you bro."

 

"PROMISE?" Papyrus returns the hug, looking at him with those eyes. Sans wonders why Papyrus doesn't go near their father anymore. Gaster seems depressed by this. It's not like this air-headed royal scientist did anything wrong to them right?

 

" **promise.** " Sans smiles.

 

[CONTINUE]

 

Sans couldn't keep his promises.

 

[SAVED]

 

Sans killed the human.

 

[LOAD]

 

Over

 

[LOAD]

 

And over.

 

[LOAD]

 

But soon...

 

[LOAD]

 

Sans grew tired.

 

[LOAD]

 

**Sans gave up.**

 

[SAVED]

 

Sans died.

 

* * *

[TRUE RESET]

 

Sans doesn't know what's wrong with him. Watching his father and younger brother talk about nightmares, Sans only saw red.

 

"!!!" The two were surprised as Sans used MAGIC, yanking his brother close. Gaster's gaze was ominous, Sans hated it.

 

**He knew he would never lie to his baby brother.**

 

[CONTINUE]

 

"SANS? DO YOU KNOW WHERE EVERYONE WENT?" Papyrus asked, hugging him from behind while they watch static.

 

"in vacation." **Sans lies.**

 

* * *

[TRUE RESET]

 

"idiot." Sans murmurs, looking at the hospitalized skeleton. Accidental injury? Sans pinches his brother's cheekbone, earning a yelp. "don't do that again. _killing yourself won't solve anything!_ "

 

"Ok ok I WON'T!" The skeleton wails.

 

[CONTINUE]

 

"Sans...?" Papyrus whispers, kneeling down with flowers on hand.

 

"You... _Hypocrite_..!" Papyrus' hands shake, echo flower petals fell on the comedian's grave.

 

* * *

[TRUE RESET]

 

"I GIVE UP." Papyrus confessed one day, crying at his brother. Sans looks at his brother, curious and worried. "giving up on what?"

"I GAVE UP GIVING UP!" Papyrus laughs, smiling. Sans hugs his brother, comforting him. "it's okay. i'm here. i'm here..."

 

"so don't say that okay?"

 

[CONTINUE]

 

"i can't handle it anymore..." Sans murmured, burying his face on his brother's scarf. He was shaking all over, the RESETs won't stop. Papyrus holds him close, comforting him. "IT'S OKAY! I'M HERE."

 

"I'LL ALWAYS BE HERE FOR YOU!"


	2. Obsolete Future

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> no one
> 
> should've
> 
> changed but
> 
> sans
> 
> kept changing
> 
> so
> 
> someone changed
> 
> too
> 
> [It's permanent.]

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Back then,
> 
> Sans would wake up with the call of his name, eat and chat with his brother starting from breakfast all the way to their stations and start his day.

* * *

[TRUE RESET]

* * *

 

 

Back then,

 

Sans would always wake up from the last timeline with the call of his name.

 

And every time,

 

it would be Papyrus who'd call out to him, barging in his room with a grand speech for today.

 

And then,

 

they'd walk together where Sans listens to Papyrus dream about a golden flower field and the night sky with shimmering stars above. Then, they'd separate ways and Sans would cracks some jokes with the lady behind the door - Toriel in short. He then goes to his station in Waterfall, chatting with the locals before heading to Hotland and selling his Hot dogs. During Nightfall, he enters MTT Hotel and eases the stress of the locals (lucky how that robot gives good pay) before grabbing dinner in Grillby's. Sans lingers there, drinking his worries away before going back to his house.

 

Sometimes, Papyrus brings him home  ~~pleading he stop hurting himself~~ but that's fine.

 

 

* * *

 

 

>   
>  One day,

 

Sans snapped at his brother, feeling angry and depressed because of the latest RESET.

 

Sans wanted to retract his statement but,

 

Papyrus himself apologized and told him that this was entirely his fault for breaking his privacy. Sans argued against it, but Papyrus insisted. When Sans relented to the decision, he knew everything would go back from the start so it was okay.

 

 

* * *

[ **Ṭ̷̱̭͚̯̼̓͆̈́̉̔̐Ṟ̴͚͙̪̠̅͜U̴̥͗͂̓͐͝E̸̩͒̏̃̈́͘͝ ̸̝̟̘̠̮͚̓͐̂̒R̴̡̩̲̭̍̅̕͠Ḛ̴̡͔͉͌̊̒̂̋S̵̮̱̻͋͠E̵̖̊̾̅̏T̷͎̥̐̓̒̍** ]

* * *

 

 Back then,

 

Sans would always wake up from the last timeline with the call of his name.

 

And now?

 

He doesn't recall this tidbit anymore.

 

Unfortunately,

 

Papyrus has impeccable memory. As if waiting for the time to end, the tall skeleton pretends to sleep and be cheerful with everything and everyone around him. Papyrus isn't naive. He knows no one likes him. He knows he's a burden in the house. He knows he won't be able to enter the Royal Guard... But the sheer thought that he knows he is the cause for his brother to be this stressed causes him to think that maybe... just maybe.

 

He isn't so **great**.

 

* * *

 

 

 

> Maybe that's why

 

Sans is always drinking in Grillby's, sleeping but never energized with his naps, and giving out puns with that strained grin of his.

 

Papyrus knows Sans wants to say something _but the skeleton would always pull back_.

 

Sans may not know it but, Papyrus can read his movement. It's sluggish, unmotivated, fearful, risk-taking and utterly different. Sans doesn't put his all anymore. He's given up even when the BATTLE hasn't started. Sans knows things he shouldn't know. Things that drive people to the brick of a crisis.

 

Sans keeps saying that it's fine, _even when it isn't_.

 

....

 

~~It's clearly his fault.~~

 

..

 

~~then he should just change!~~

 

.

 

*but that's fine _right_?

 

* * *

[ **TRUE RESET** ]

* * *

 

Back then,

 

Sans would always wake up from the last timeline with the call of his name.

 

But right now?

 

Sans would wake up in his bedroom on his own volition. Papyrus doesn't call him really. The tall skeleton isn't the type to barge into his room or call him out for breakfast. Papyrus is old enough to leave the house without alerting anyone. They're brothers but they aren't that close. Though... Sans sometimes wonders why he's expecting someone to call out his name, but shrugs it off. _It doesn't really matter_.

 

So...

 

Sans heads over to Grillby's before going to his station. He takes a short nap, not needing to visit his brother unless he wants to hear Papyrus talking about his dreams and ambitions in life. Now that he thinks about it, their brotherly bonding reduced in the following days. It's not like that's a bad thing coz this means he has more time for himself, especially with the number of jobs he undertakes. It's just... strange how something's off with this entire set-up. Welp. The strangest thing he noticed is the fact Papyrus doesn't need to be read to sleep. _It's just what he wanted right?_

 

Sometimes, Sans stays at home for the entire day  ~~wishing the world just end~~  but that's fine.

 

* * *

  

 

> In some days,

 

Papyrus would move away from him, giving Sans the privacy and personal time he always wanted from the previous RESETs.

 

Sans (would later recall and) wanted to bring the topic up but,

 

Sans analyzed and concluded that Papyrus himself isn't acting anything out of the ordinary so why should he be worried? Besides, everyone not just Papyrus remembers small bits of the previous timeline. He just needs to adapt, that's all.

 

* * *

[TRUE RESET]

* * *

 

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And now?
> 
> Sans would wake up, eat over at Grillby's and casually visiting his brother before starting his day.

**Author's Note:**

> Still inspired but we're filing it out. Will try our best to finish stuff. :)


End file.
